LOS ANGELES—In another time, another place, the Hollywood ending might have belonged to Steve Bernier.

Once a first-round pick of the Sharks, in 2003, the winger signed an AHL contract with the New Jersey Devils after a training camp tryout. It may have been Bernier's last chance as a North American pro after stops in San Jose, Buffalo, Vancouver and Florida, with a couple of 15-goal seasons, but not much else on his resume.

Steve Bernier went from AHL callup to valuable contributor on a conference team, but he'll be remembered most for a Game 6 mistake. (AP Photo)

Bernier joined the Devils at the end of January, and found a home on a hard-grinding fourth line with midseason trade acquisition Ryan Carter and minor-league callup Stephen Gionta, the brother of former Devils star Brian Gionta. In New Jersey, the trio was nicknamed CBGB, after both the legendary Manhattan music club and their initials: Carter, Bernier, Gionta's Brother.

Bernier scored two goals in the first round against his former team, the Panthers, and was seeing regular minutes in the finals, with one assist to his credit. The Devils came into Monday night thinking that they might be on their way to history, as they were halfway to becoming the first team since the 1942 Maple Leafs to overcome a 3-0 series deficit in the Stanley Cup finals.

As the clock ticked past the halfway point of Game 6, it all went wrong. Instead of a heartwarming story of perseverance paying off in historic fashion, Bernier became the goat of the Cup-deciding game, as he slammed Rob Scuderi into the boards deep in the Kings' zone for a five-minute major and game misconduct.

Bernier could not bring himself to watch. He still knew everything that followed his ejection.

"I stayed here (in the locker room) and tried to listen to the crowd," said Bernier, who registered only 16 penalty minutes in 32 regular-season games despite his role on a physical line. "It was very hard, for sure. I wish I could take that play back, but I can't."

What Bernier heard was a roar for Dustin Brown's goal 57 seconds after the penalty, then another for Jeff Carter's goal 1:42 later, then another for Trevor Lewis' goal nine seconds before the end of the Kings' power play. Then he saw his teammates return to the locker room, down 3-0 and with little hope of a comeback against the goaltender who went on to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, Jonathan Quick.

Bernier said that he did not believe his hit was deserving of a five-minute major, but referee Dan O'Rourke had no other choice as the play developed in front of him. Scuderi was facing the boards when Bernier took his last stride at the hashmarks, and Bernier did nothing to avoid hitting a player in a vulnerable position. Add in the cuts that Scuderi sustained on his nose and upper lip, and the major was the only possible call.

"It's a bad spot for him to be in," Devils coach Peter DeBoer said. "Everybody knows Bernie's heart's in the right place."

In addition to being in the right place, intentions-wise, Bernier's heart also wound up in the pit of his stomach, knowing that it was his play that turned the deciding game of the Stanley Cup finals in the Devils' opponents' favor.